Tip: you really don’t need to peel ginger, but if you do, here’s how
It’s in many recipes: “Peel the ginger.” Heaven forbid a bit of peel ends up in your curry or ginger tea. But honestly? Peeling ginger is completely unnecessary. The shape of that knobbly root is so irregular that you often throw away more ginger than peel with a knife. What a waste. And it also saves you a lot of hassle.
So let’s say it out loud: the ultimate ginger-peeling hack is simple – don’t do it.
The peel does no harm
That thin ginger peel is completely edible. You won’t taste it, it won’t make your stew any less delicious and neither will it affect your tea. Unless you’re a professional chef aiming for a Michelin-star sauce, there’s no reason whatsoever to peel ginger.
In fact, ginger is used with the peel on in many Asian cuisines. In China, they even say that you remove the soul of the ginger when you take off the peel. Whether a root has a soul? No idea. But hey, if that means I can save time in the kitchen, I believe it immediately.
When you should peel ginger
Okay, fine: there are a few moments when peeling ginger isn’t unnecessary. For example:
When the ginger is a little older and the peel has become fibrous and tough.
When you want to cut very thin slices or strips, such as for a salad or sushi.
Or when you’re making a sauce that really needs to be silky smooth, without a trace of texture.
But for 95% of dishes – curries, soups, stews, tea – just leave the peel on.
The spoon trick
Are you still a purist (or just stubborn)? Then don’t grab a knife; use a spoon. You can easily scrape off the thin peel without destroying half the root in the process. If you peel ginger with a knife, you often cut away substantial pieces. And ginger isn’t exactly cheap.
Besides: why throw away perfectly good food when you don’t have to? Jamie Oliver swears by it, and honestly: it works surprisingly well. In this video of Jamie Oliver you can see how easy it is.
FavorFlav pro tip: buy small and often
Instead of one huge piece of ginger that half-dries out on your countertop, buy smaller pieces at the Asian supermarket or regular supermarket. That way, you’ll always have fresh ginger at home and you won’t have to worry about peeling it at all.
You save time, add flavor and reduce waste. Only when you really want to make a velvety-smooth sauce or need thin slices should you reach for a spoon. For everything else: keep it simple.
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